Scout syrup sale record breaking
CARP – It was another great year for the 1st Carp Scouts’ annual maple syrup fundraiser; in fact, it was a record-breaker.
The 1st Carp Scouts start selling their maple syrup, acquired through a partnership with Temple’s Sugar Bush, in March, offering the best deal available on some of the best syrup in the Ottawa Valley. The 1st Carp Scouts, made up of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers, canvas the Carp community offering the sticky deal.
The scouts also sell their product at local businesses Ottawa Valley Grain Products, Ridge Rock Brewery and Giacinto’s Barbershop.
Pick-up day was the same as the Carp Farmer’s Market opening day (and West Carleton Online will have more on that tomorrow) on Saturday, May 9. West Carleton Online reporter Nonie Smart dropped by pick-up day to get the scoop.
“We have done well again this year with sales of 800 bottles,” Scout leader Cameron Steadman said. “It’s up a little bit from last year.”
Scout leader Dan Hewitt was much more enthusiastic.
“We set a new record this year,” Hewitt told West Carleton Online May 8. “Around 850 bottles. It was amazing.”
“The kids had a lot of fun,” Steadman said. “We canvassed locally too and it snowed that morning, in the end of March but it didn’t make a difference. We also had good support from local businesses.”
Last year’s maple syrup sales proceeds were used to support a variety of needs.
“It’s boring stuff like insurance; training for scouters; gear maintenance and purchase,” he said. “Also, we have our No One Left Behind program so anyone who cannot afford to participate can be funded, because we would rather kids go camping than stay home. This is one of three fundraisers. We’d love to drop to two. This is slowly becoming a bigger event for us.”
In addition to fundraising the group is always looking for new volunteers.
“People cycle in and out,” Steadman said. “A large group of the older kids are graduating high school this year and as they leave, the parents leave also.”
Steadman says recent return to work policies are affecting scouts too.
“We have seen a big volunteer time limit because people have to go back to the office,” he said. “People don’t have the extra time because of the commute. We feel that volunteer effect. That is an interesting trend.”
Despite the changing times, Steadman says the 92-member troop is doing well.
“We are switching from year to school-year for all of Scouts Canada,” Steadman said. “We will run from fall to end of summer which is so much better because of kids and school is the rhythm. It will be easier.”
The scouts attended their first camping outing of the season near Perth, last weekend (May 2).
“It was a bigger camp at the troop level, Girl Guides of Canada also came as well as a group of Sea Scouts from Scouting America,” Steadman said. “There were 355 participants. They have a very different program in the United States. Everyone in Canada now knows the Boy Scouts have been renamed Scouts since the 1970s/ When we did Carp Fair the biggest question was, ‘can girls do Scouts?’ Oh my gosh it’s been like that forever. In the States they just changed the name to Scouting in the past few years. It’s all good. Kids are learning. Kids are graduating. that is what it is all about; building up the youth of the nation.”
